Lack of Respect and Common scence

[Todd Caswell]

Not sure if this is a sign of the times or not but, this weekends deer opener was a eye opener for me. We hunt state land in North Central MN we have hunted this area for the past 50 years along with another group, yes I know it's state land and is open for every one to use but......... The area is a small mile square area that is surrounded by nat. forest land. We have 5 in our group and there are 3 in the other group, we camp on the road leading into it. We always get up there early on friday to set up camp, deturing most from hunting there. Friday evening a truck fly's by our camp and parks at the dead end a couple hundred yards away, an hour later there still back there so we go to check out where there planning on hunting, they have 3 ground blind set up on a ridge, we polity told them that they were completly surrounded, and had little chance of shooting anything, but it's state land and if they really wanted to stay there they could. An older man told me they had seen our camp, seen where our stands were and would respect that we had been there first. Seemed silly to sit where they were but to each there own. Opening morning they show up at shooting time in a very load truck with no muffler, slamming doors, sit untill around 10 then leave, 3 that efternoon I hear the same truck comming down the road, doors slam, and then they decide to put up a ladder stand 50 nyards in front of me around the corner in a clear cut, I can't see them but there still 50 yards from me. I got down out of my stand and walked over there, again politly introduced myself, and told and showed them where my stand was. His responce was " Geeze I really hope were not imposing" I kept my cool and told him I thought he was, but it's not my land so do as you choose, I also explained that I personall would never want to sit that close to anyone else, but I guess he didn't get it.

I really wanted in the worst way to wait untill prime time and move my stand right in front of him but I'm better then that. He had to walk right past our camp on the way out that night, I asked him if he had seen anything and offered him a beer but he was in a hurry and didn't have time to stop. This was not a young kid either, a man in his 50's.

Sorry for the rant but this is a commen sence thing for me if I see another hunter in the woods I leave, if someone has the best duck spot on the lake I find some where else to hunt, if someone is in my honey hole on the water I let them have it ect. ect. ect.

We ended up shooting 4 nice bucks so no harm done but it really makes me wonder what mature adult people are thinking..

[tracker x-2]

yup just a sign of times changing..... make you wonder what people will be like in a 100 years yuck. You did the right thing try and keep calm and enjoy being out there with your family and friends.

[i'majigger]

Courtesy is a thing of the past!!!

[bobbymalone]

When did the jack aces first show up to do jack ace things? In the 70s? I know they have been around since the mid eighties when I was first old enough to spot them. I'm only 34 though.

[Todd Caswell]

I'm 42 but my dad is 76 and not shy at all, had to hold him back from saying what he felt. My hopes are that someone reading this will put 2 and 2 together and realise WE HAVE DONE WRONG.............................................. Not likely but there's a chance..................

[MUSKY18]

I can completely understand where you are comin from. We hunt state land mostly and although there have been folks come in and hunt around us from time to time, never had that kind of problem.

However, this year I didn't hunt up there and stayed around home. Sunday afternoon I went out to check some state land that I know a lot of people hunt, but if there wasn't many, I was going to throw up my climber and bow hunt for a while. Needless to say there was orange EVERYWHERE. Not a big deal, I just chose not to hunt and go watch the Vikngs game. On my way out, I noticed a group of people driving the one part of the land. They had guys posted out on the roads and about 10 people pushing the swamp/grass/trees/corn field. Now the crazy thing is that there are people sitting in stands out there that were not part of the dimwits that were doing the deer drive (I know the people who were doing the drive). I was literally in shock that they would totally disrespect the people in the stands and just walk in there and do a deer drive. I know if I was one of the people in the stand, i would have been mad as a wet hen. There is no respect shown and I would never do that to people who were sitting on stand. I know it is state land and its open to any and everyone but come on, use some common sense. I'm going to speak to the head of the hunting party when I see him and tell him it was a low ball move on their part.

[shortfatguy]

I hear what you are saying and agree with your point. I think one of the things making this even a bigger problem, in recent years, is all the leasing of paper company land. It used to be open to everyone and now a few guys lease up big sections of land and post it. I know I lost a lot of area I used to hunt and I am sure many others did as well. Potlatch is the largest private land owner in the United States. When they closed up their land by leasing it made the state, fed, and county land that much more crowded. Many people trying to find a new area after being booted from land they hunted for years. Hopefully these guys find a better spot and leave your crew alone in the future!

[Jameson]

...I was literally in shock that they would totally disrespect the people in the stands and just walk in there and do a deer drive. I know if I was one of the people in the stand, i would have been mad as a wet hen....

Here is the deal...the people in the stands don't own the land and their way of hunting is not better than anyone else's. Maybe the deer drivers have been hunting that land that way for many years and now all of sudden some rude hunters have decided to set-up stands and try to control the area.

[fishuhalik]

Huh. I said this same thing last year and got reamed by people saying get over it, it's public land. Glad to see some people out there still have common hunting courtesy, not to mention safety! Good job keeping your cool though. We've had so many hunts ruined in the last 5 years that my dad is almost ready to give up deer hunting.

[dietdew]

Hmmm where do you draw the line on hunter Harrasment. If these were antis crawling around the woods where people were sitting we would be calling for their heads but if its some yarn head deer driver it's ok cause it's public..... When will people realize that if someone is hunting an area that you should just move on... Who are these poeople?

[jay83196]

Jameson, With that theory its ok to be rude everyday to everyone in everyday life no courtesy, respect for anybody. It must be ok to cut people off on the road, cut in front of people in line, cut off sombody who was ahead of you to take a parking spot or how about at the boat launch ill just cut in front of the 4 boats ahead of me cuz who cares if somebody else got there first its all ok cuz its on a public road, parking lot etc! That's complete s#@& if somebody is there first they deserve the courtesy to hunt it bottom line, anything else is low class plain and simple. Plenty of land people can move to places other people are not already hunting. I dont understand why some people think they can act like that because its public and its not ok in any case!

[hockeybc69]

Entitlement comes to mind....

Its not just yours. Its mine too. So try and stop me.

Love that attitude......

I would quit deer hunting before I would ever step on public land... bad enough experiences with duck hunting public land. Cant even imagine the B S to deal with for deer.

[Bran32]

JAY +100 ^

I know up here in the Detroit Lakes area my wife and I are about ready to give up on opening weekend!! We got to a small WPA at 3:30 am on opener 4 hrs before shooting light just to try to get a spot and had a guy park right behind us, where I couldn't even back out of the spot at about 5:00 and then proceed to get out of his truck and Litteraly Jog into the WPA just to beat us in there!! I don't care if someone wants to hunt the same land but have the courtesy to find one of the other 4 or so parking spots that were on this piece of said land!! Sad days indeed!!

[Bear55]

If you can find a good sized chunk of land a half mile on foot will eliminate most of your problems. A mile back and I can promise the odds of seeing another hunter go way way down.

[walleyehunter80]

I will NEVER step foot on public land for deer season if someone else is there. Its a death wish. To many people thinking about themselves and to much danger could come of it

[hockeybc69]

I got shot in the back of the head duck hunting at Carlos Avery.... The guy was 75 yds away, but drew blood from my ear. Pellets sprayed me.

You nailed it walleye... No frickin way would I put my life in the hands of the guys that are being talked about in this thread... holy cripes...

[eyeguy 54]

ahhh the bow and arrow.... so much fun... :>)

[merkman]

Sounds like a few of you need to save some pennies and buy some land of your very own.....

Just sayin....

.

[schmoe147]

Welcome to state land.

[hockeybc69]

Quote:

Sounds like a few of you need to save some pennies and buy some land of your very own.....

Such a lame answer that I have seen posted many times.... how many people with kids have pennies to save to buy hunting land???

Sure some have it made... But how many people can just save off 40k- 60k to buy 40 acres of some decent deer hunting land so they can hunt a few weekends a year?

[merkman]

I got shot in the back of the head duck hunting at Carlos Avery.... The guy was 75 yds away, but drew blood from my ear. Pellets sprayed me.

You nailed it walleye... No frickin way would I put my life in the hands of the guys that are being talked about in this thread... holy cripes...

[RumRiverRat]

I love stories about public land.

One of the many reasons I quit firearms hunting in MN.

Now that I have my own 320 and access to another 1000 acres of private land I have no reason to get serious about hunting in MN.

[96trigger]

I wish it was only 40k to 60K. In the southeast it would be 120k-200Kfor 40-60 acres. Been that way for awhile.

[dave12341234]

Recently sat back on some public land in douglas county,wi. I had only been there for an hour before someone came walking up behind me about 20 yards away. He looked right at me, he knew i was there. I left. Dont know why you'd want to hunt here, Im RIGHT HERE. Doesnt happen often though, I usually stay on my land. This was bowhunting, and I wasnt too angry. But what is going through there minds. I mean the way he was dressed I knew well he wasn't a newb to the sport and he just doesnt realize what he's doing.

It looked like he walked out of the fall edition cabelas catalog advertising scentlock, walking to his treestand like he's late for a class.

But nevertheless I knew he was gonna walk right by me when he could have easily (and for his benefit as well) "went around", instead of laying a semicircle of a scent-trail around my stand. Thankyou!

[Big Country]

It's all about the "Me" factor. 49 years old and have experienced it way to many times. It's the reason my cousins and I bought 40 acres surrounded by county land. We are fortunate in our carrers and age to be able to do this. I try to teach my children to never be this way. Be respectful of others. I have heard so many people say it's the way kid's are raised these day's, but I feel it's society as a whole. Can't tell you how many times I have been with my children shopping and an older man or woman walks directly in front of us while we are in the isle practically bumping us as they pass by without saying excuse me, or even sorry. I always loudly tell my kid's at that point to make sure when they pass someone like that person just did to excuse yourself to them. Usually get goofy looks, but sometimes they realize what just happened and say, "Oh, I'm sorry". My children will always hold the door open for you before they think of themselves first. BC